When the going gets tough, the tough get going and this is exactly the situation Drishti lifeguards found themselves in, but, nonetheless, they played well to the call of duty and succeeded in saving precious lives on Goan beaches during the Christmas and New Year rush.
The Drishti Marine lifesavers across Goa’s coastal belt were kept on their toes with five double rescues and six first-aid emergencies – it was a chaotic 15 days for them.
Beaches like Morjim, Palolem, Anjuna, Baga and Benaulim experienced many cases of rescues mostly due to intoxication. Jet skis were deployed at popular beaches high tourist footfalls were expected.
Drishti Marine lifesaver Rajat Vaiginkar at Baga beach was called into action to save a 22-year-old resident of Rajasthan who was struggling to swim.
Examination of the individual’s vitals after his rescue revealed that he was intoxicated. Likewise in Calangute, a 27-year-old woman from Andhra Pradesh who was intoxicated was struggling in knee-level water.
In another case, at Anjuna beach, a 34-year-old resident of Karnataka slipped into the water in an intoxicated state. An on-duty lifesaver brought the man back to shore and administered first aid.
While intoxication was one aspect, the Drishi Marine lifesavers were also involved in six first-aid and medical emergencies across Goa’s coastline.
At Palolem, a 62-year-old man from Karnataka, who was experiencing breathing difficulties, was brought back to shore and administered CPR to clear his airway. Similarly, at Cavelossim, a senior citizen was experiencing similar breathing difficulties.
With the influx of tourists in Goa, the lifeguards also came across six other cases of children who were missing and reunited them with their parents at Baga, Calangute and Cavelossim beaches.
A thief was also handed over to the police after he was caught stealing a bag from a hotel guest at Colva beach. There were 171 rescue operations during the last festive season between December 2022 and January 2023.